/ 



I! 



PORTRAIT AND DATA 



OF 



THRICE ELECTED UNITED STATES 
SENATOR, AND A POWER IN THE 
BUSINESS WORLD. 



ISiograpiiies 



C COMPILED FOR NEWSPAPER REFERENCE BY THE C. 

ilational i^etojBpaper assoctation, 3m, 

23 PARK ROW, NEW YORK, U. S. A. 




Jaff^^a/ y^*»v/7i./?^r ^^s ''-■ 




THOMAS COLLIER PLATT 



Thrice Elected United States Senator, and a Power in the Business 

World. 



Thomas Collier Piatt, senior Senator of the State of New York, was born in 
the village of Owego, Tioga County, N. Y., on July 15th, 1833. His father was 
William "Platt, well and favorably known as a prominent and successful lawyer 
and real estate man in central New York. 

The future statesman was carefully instructed at the Owego Academy, and, 
after due preparation, he entered Yale. His record there was full of promise 
but ill-health compelled him to leave his studies. 

Mr. Piatt organized the Tioga National Bank and became its President at 
that time, and has occupied the Presidency up to the present time. He also 
organized and was instrumental in the construction of the Southern Central 
Railroad. For many years he was its President and a Director of the corporation. 
Later he became the Receiver, and was such at the time of its absorption by the 
Lehigh Valley Railroad. 

From an early period in his life Mr. Piatt took a deep interest in politics. 
His first political position was that of Clerk of Tioga County. 

From that time on Mr. Piatt has exercised a growing influence in the councils 
of the Republican party, until he reached the acknowledged political leadership 
in New York State. 

In 1870 Mr. Piatt declined an offer of the nomination to Congress. Two 
years later he was, however, elected, and in 1874 re-elected. He was delegate to 
the National Republican Conventions of 1876, 1880, 1884, 1888. 1892 and 1900. 
and has been a member of the National Republican Committee. 

The year 1877 saw Mr. Piatt Chairman of the Republican State Convention 
of New York. He was afterwards elected to the Forty-third and Forty-fourth 
Congresses, and in 188 1 he first took his seat in the United States Senate from that 
State. At this time Mr. Piatt was associated with Alonzo B. Cornell, anddid 
much to aid the political fortunes of General Grant and Roscoe Conkling. When 
the Republican party, after the election of President Garfield, was engaged in its 
bitter family quarrel over the New York appointments (especially the Collector- 
ship of the Port). Mr. Piatt, as well as Mr. Conkling, then senior Senator from the 
State of New York, resigned tlieir Senatorial positions on May i6th of that year, 
and both returned to private life and business. 

After Senator Conkling's death, in 1888. the Republican party, which had 
been torn almost asunder bv dissension, divided into factions, wearied of useless 
antacronism. and, under the leadership of Mr. Piatt, reunited, and was led to 
glorious victory by their invincible leader, under whose direction many brilliant 
victories have been won. 

Mr Piatt was again elected United States Senator in 1897, took his seat 
March 4th, 1897. and still again elected to the Senate in 1903, for a period of 
six years. 

Senator Piatt has many enemies: but they are in the ranks of those who 
have felt the defeats which his generalship inflicted upon them. He believes 
in straio-ht Republicanism, and owes allegiance to none other, and the rank 
and file who follow his lead know that he is the same aggressive, uncompromising 
statesman that he was when he became associated with Conkling. ^Ir. Piatt was 
for a number of years the President of the Tennessee Coal. Iron & R. R. Co. 

Mr Piatt directs the vast interests of the United States Express Company. 
and is engaged in many other business enterprises. He is a member of the 
Lawyers' and American Yacht Clubs, and of the Yale Alumni and Metropolitan 
Museum of Art Associations, of the American Geographical Society, and ot 
the Chamber of Commerce. 



,,%r 



